Trunk.



No. 872,874.. PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

G. H; WHEARY.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED APR.12,1907.

A TTOR/VE Y5 No. 872,874. v PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

H. WHEARY.

TRUNK.

APPLICATION FILED APB.12,1907.

if J7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IIII/IIIIIIIIl/II/ll m Ea, J

WITNESSES interior.

' trunk:

broken away and in condition "ti'on to be opened it is to all appearances to the body or nnrrnn STATES PATENT ornron.

chosen H. WHEARY, OFRAGINE, WISCONSIN, nssrenoa TO THE HARTMANN TRUNK 00.,

. or RAOINE, WISQO'NSIN.

TRUNK.

Specification of Iletters Patent.

To all whom it may concern: tion through the upper portion of the trunk Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WHEARY, when set on end and closed together, with a citizen of the United States, residing at parts shown in elevation; and Fig. 3 is an Racine, in the county of Racine andState of elevation of that 'end of the trunk upon Wisconsin, have invented a new and useful 1 which it rests when Trunk, of which thefollowing is a specifica- Referring to the ion. I

This invention has reference to improveportion 1 constituting what will correspond ments in trunks of the type known as ward- 1 o the top of an ordinary trunk and the porrobe trunks, and its object is to rovide' a 'tion 2 corresponding to what may be termed compact, strong and easily accessile device the bottom or body portion of an ordinary of this character without multiplicity or trunk. The top portion 1 is hinged to the com lexity of parts and which will perform body portion 2 along the unctions of an ordinary trunk and at at 3, and this top portion is much shallower the same time holdthe various articles of than the body portion 2. wearinga parel in close and well-packed The front panel 4 of the topportion'. is of ut readily and easily accessible much greater width than the other panels of as soon as the trunk is opened to expose its the top, while the front-panel 5 of the body portion is much narrower'than the other panels making up this body portion. The front panel 4 of the top portion extends down in front of the body portion 2 until it meets the panel 5 of the latter, and this panel 4 is provided with the usual overlapping metal strip-6 engaging over the upper edge of the panel 5 of the body portion 2.

One end of the trunkis provided with a bul ed portion 7 so that the trunk cannot be made to stand on this particular end, while the other end is so constructed that the trunk may be stood up on that end; and the corres' onding end of the top portion 1 as well as t e corres onding end of the panel 4 are provided wit rollers 88.

-Within the body portion of the trunk and extending vertically with relation to the.

open. drawings, there 1s shown The invention consists essentially of a trunk body which, when closed, has the appearance of 'an ordinary trunk, but which when opened separateson such lines as to render all parts readily accessible. The trunk is so constructed that when in posistanding upon one end, while that portion of the trunk corresponding to the top of an ordinary trunk. is provided with an extension overlapping that portion corresponding bottom of an ordinarytrunk, which latter portion is cut away or removed to receive the extension of the ,top of the By thi'smeans the trunk is divided on lines permitting its apparent capacit to be much enlarged so that the body or ottom of the trunk may be provided with suitsame when the trunk is in a able removable receptacles for various artition, or laterally oi the samewhen the trunk cles, while the portion corresponding to the is stood on end, are angle strips 9 of a'length top of a trunk may cont in racks for various I equal to about the depth of the panel 5. articles-oi wearing a parel, which racks and These strips9 are 'arrangednig p'airs, one on the articles carried t ereby are closely comthe inside face'of the panel 5 and the other pacted when the trunk'is in the closed condion the corresponding inside ijaoe oithe back tion, but which may be sufiiciently separated for ready access when the trunk is opened for the removal of its contents.

The invention will be fully understood from the following deta'led description taken in connection with the accompan g draw-' ings forming part of this speci cation, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view, with parts section, showing the trunk in. the open position; Fig. 2 is a sec-lguideways for drawers 10 of suflicientnumer-to occupyapproximately all the s ace included in that portion'of the body 0 the trunk comprising a space as far from the botangle strips 9 are omitted and a partition 11 is substituted serving to support one of the drawers 10 and also strengthe'ni this portion'fof the body of the trunk. i T onsidering one edge, as indicated of the trunk, so as to constitute supporting a'trunk consisting of two portions12, the

hon zontal .positom of the trunk as is the width of the panel 5. About midway of the j-body portion the 'the trunk as standing on end, the lowermost drawer 10 is made of sufficient size to contain a hat andtherefore may be considered as a hat-box. For this purpose the front 12 of this drawer is hin ed to the body portion thereof so as to be he d down when the trunk is stood on end, and on the inside face of this cover 12 there is secured a cup 13 carrying of flaps 17 each provided with a snap fasten-,

ing to engage a button 18 on each drawer 10 so that w the flap may be made to en age such button and the drawer, may be he d in the bottom portion of the trunk against accidental displacement.

dle 19. The uppermost drawer does not reach quite to the top of the trunk, considering the latter as being on end, but a-space designated by the reference numeral 20 re-,

1 mainsbetween the topof this drawer and the corresponding end of the trunk. Since theseveral drawers operate as covers for the next succeeding lower drawer, none of them are provided with covers but the uppermost one, .and this one is provided with a cover 21 fastened thereto by suitable flap fastenings 22. The several drawers are intended for the reception of such articles as may properly be placed therein.

Referring now to the top portion of the trunk, it will be observed that in that end which is uppermost whenthe trunk is stood on end is a fixed frame 23 supported by suitable brackets 24. This frame extends away from the top portion of the trunk to a greater extent than the panel'4, and when the trunk is closed together this 'frame 23 enters the space 20 above the topmost drawer 10. Near the ends of the frame, extending parallel to the sides thereof, are two rods 25 designed to carry cross bars 26 shown in the drawings as rovided with clips 27 but which bars may e otherwise constructed, and these bars are arranged to travel on the rods 25 in the direc tion of the length of the rods. The bars 26 may be used as-supports forcoat-hangers 28 of ordinary construction, which hangers are shown in Fig. 2 only. and. various other means for holding clothing may be used in connection with the bars 26 and frame 23.- Since a great "ariety of garmOnt-supporting devices may be adapted for use in this particular portion of the invention, and since the particular construction of such devices Fast on the rear enthe drawer is pushed into place In order to withdraw the several drawers from the bottom portion of the trunk, each one is provided with a flap han- I bottom portion.

forms'no part or the present invention, no

attempt has been made to illustrate any such devices and it suffices to say that any form of 1 garmerit-supporting ,means maybe used in this connection. I

Hung from the rods 25 by clips 29 is a rectangular frame 30 extending downward a suitable distance to a point somewhat remote from what may be considered the bottom end" The supporting devices carried by the ments and when as many are placed upon the supporting devices as may be, the frame 30 is moved along the rods 25 until in firm contact with these garments, compacting them to the'desired degree, and it is then held in such position by means of the bands 31.

Now, when the top portion ofthe trunk is moved to aposition to close it on to the bot-. tom portion thereof, the frame 23 will enter the space 20 and the frame 30 will come in contact with or in close relation to the drawers 10, thus holding the latter in place when the trunk is being carried from place to upon that longer side which corres onds to the bottom of an ordinary trun 1, these drawers 10 will be held in place by gravity.

When it is desirable to open the trunk and have access to the contentsthereof, the trunk is set uponend, as illustrated in Fig; 1, and

the body portion'is swung around on the hinges until it-is stopped by contact with the The drawers are all now accessible, as will be readily apparent.

untying the bands 31 the frame 30 is released and the various garments carried by the hangers 28 or other supports are loosened sufficiently to be easily removable either through the frame 23 or in the space between the bottom portion of the trunk. and ,the frame 30; i

It will be observed that the garment s,-especially those contained in the top portion of the trunk, are held against displacement, and, therefore, are not liable to be damaged or 'mussed up during transit. It will also be observed that the frame 23 extends to such a distance from the top portion of the trunk that it would strike the front of the body portion of the trunk if the said front portion was of the usual width, and, consequently, in order to enlarge the capacity of the garment carrying portion of thetrunk to that degree which is su'liicient to permit-the trunk to receive all ,the garments usually carried by a traveleitand to support the same from hangers as described, this garment supporting section of the trunk 1s made equal in caplace. Ordinarily, when the trunk is resting p'acity to that of the ordinary top of a trunk and about half the capacity of the body of a trunk.

At the end of the top section of the trunk remote from the frame 23 there is provided a box 32 which, when the top section is closed on to the bottom section will fit up to within close relation to the hat-box compartment of the trunk. The box 32 is necessarily quite shallow 'since it will occupy the space between the free ends of the frame 30 and the corresponding end of the trunk. The box 32 may be provided with a suitable cover which, however, is not shown in the drawings, or the contents of the box may be prevented from accidental removal therefrom by means of straps or tapes 33, or, in fact, any means for securing the contents of the box in place may be used.

I claim 1. A trunk comprising a body portion having'one side panel and two end panels of equal width and the other side panel of less width than the first-named side panel, a top portion having one side panel and the end panels of equal width and the other side panel of such greater width than the firstnamed side panel of the to portion as to meet the narrow side panel 0 the body portion when the top portion is closed down on the body portion, and a garment-carrier support secured to the top portion near one end thereof.

2. A trunk comprising a body portion having the back paneland both end panels of equal width and the front panel of a Width less than that of the other panels, drawers or containers within the body portion of the trunk and occupying a space commensurate with the width of the front panel, a top portion having the back panel and end panels of'e ual width and the front panel of greater widt ,to meet the narrow front panel of the body portion, and a garment-carrier sup port carried by said top portion of the trunk and arranged to be moved thereby into the body portion of the trunk when the topportion is closed on to the body portion.

3. A trunk comprising a bod y portion hav- 1n 'its front panel of less width than the height of said body portion, a top portion having its front panel of a correspondingly greater width to complete the front of the trunk, and a garment carrier secured to one end of the to portion of the trunk and projecting there rom to an extent coextensive with thewidth of the front panel of said top port-ion and accessible from the side adjacent to the body portion of the trunk and also from the side adjacent. to the extended front panel of the top of the trunk.

4. trunk comprising a body portion having a front panel of less width than the back and end panels of said body portion, a se- 'of thetrunk to a point near the other end of the trunk, a top portion having a front panel of greater widt than the rear and side panels and of sufficient width to meet the narrow front panel of the body portion, and

a supporting frame for garment-carriers secured to the to portion of the trunk near one end thereo and of such extent of projection from said top portion as to enter the body portion of the trunk between the series of com artments and the end of the trunk near wiich they terminate, said garmentsupporting frame projecting beyond the nar row back panel of the top and accessible from the side corresponding to such narrow back panel. I

5. A trunk comprising a body portion having a front panel of less width than the height of said body ortion, a top portion having the front pandi of sufficient width'to meet the narrow front panel of the body portion, a'series of drawer or compartments in the body portion of the trunk and of a depth approximately that of the narrow front panel of the body portion, a supporting frame for garment-carriers fast in the top portion of the trunk near one end thereof and projecting from said top portion a distance equal to the width of the front panel of said top portion, and another frame hung from the first-named frame and movable from the front thereof toward the rear end thereof for compacting garments placed on the garment-carriers.

6 A wardrobe trunk comprising a body portion having a front panel of less Width than that of the rear and end panels, a series of drawers or compartments of a depth equal to the width of the narrow front panel and terminating at a point near one end of the body portion, a top portion having a wide front panel sulliciently extensive to meet the front panel of the body portion, a frame. secured to said top portion near one end thereof and projecting therefrom a distance coextensive with the wide front panel of the top portion and entering the space between the series of compartments and the-corresponding end of the body portion, and another frame having an extent of movement equal to the length of the first-named frame for compacting garments carried by said firstnamed frame.

In testimony that I claim the, foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE H. Witnesses: l

CLINT D. FRAZELL, MAx'ZBLocn. 

